1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a method of making an electrophotographic member with an amorphous Silicon photoconductive layer and a surface protecting layer of amorphous carbon as a principal ingredient, such as amorphous carbon layer containing hydrogen or amorphous carbon layer containing hydrogen and fluorine.
2. Brief Description of Related Art
The amorphous Silicon (hereinafter abbreviated as "a-Si") photoconductive layer has several advantages compared with conventional chalcogenides such as a-Se, a-Se-Te, and a-As.sub.2 Se.sub.3 : high photosensitivity in the long wavelength range, high mechanical durability due to its hardness, high thermal stability and no harm to the environment. Because of these features the a-Si photoconductive layer is suitable for maintenance-free copying machines and highspeed printers.
The preparation of the electrophotographic member with the a-Si photoconductive layer was reported by Yoshikazu Nakayama, et al in the Journal of Non-crystalline Solids, 59 and 60 (1983), pages 1231-1234, published by North-Holland publishing Company. Such an electrophotographic member has three layers; a blocking layer, a photoconductive layer and a surface protecting layer of a-SiOx: H. These layers are deposited in the above-stated order on an electrode substrate of cylindrical drum, and the surface protecting layer is provided to stabilize surface potential of the electrophotographic member and to improve the wetproofing as a result of the hydrophobic properties of the surface protecting layer.
However, such an electrophotographic member have defects in that the printing quality and the wetproofing deteriorate, because the hydrophobic properties and the surface resistivity of the surface protecting layer is lowered by the repetition of the corona charging and discharging.